Method of extracting copper from calcined ore or slags.



A. GADOMSKY. METHOD OF EXTRAGTING COPPER FROM GALGINBD ORE 0B SLAGS.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14,1910.

1,014,868, Patented Jam 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-$111113 1.

,u' A. GADOMSKY.

METHOD OF EXTRAGTING COPPER FROM GALGINED ORE 0B. SLAGS.

' i I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14,1910.

1,014,868,- Patented Jan. 16,1912.

ZSHEBTS-SHBET 2.

Fig. 2

a wm ANTONY.GADOMSKY, OF TIFLIS, RUSSIA.

METHOD. OF EXTRAGTING COPPER/FROM CALCINED ORE OR S LAGS.

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial No. 543,896.

To allwho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONY GADOMSKY, subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Tiflis, Caucasus, Russia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Extracting Copper from Calcined Ores or Slags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved process for extracting the copper from calcined ore or slags by transforming the cupric compounds contained in the same into copper ammonium hydrate and carbonate of copper by the combined action of the ammonia solution, of the ammonium carbonate and of the oxygen of the air. The copper salts thus obtained dissolve in the excess of the ammonia solution. The solution produced is heated in a retort to the boiling point and the ammonia gas and the carbonicacid gas generated during boiling are recuperated by water to be used again as a reagent. In the retort there remains finallyabout 70%. of water saturated with oxid of co per which latter deposits on the bottom the retort inthe form of a paste containing about 80% of pure copper. This cupric paste can be smelted in the furnace in orderto yield the pure copper.

The method proposed is hereinafter specified, in conjunction with the device shown in the annexed drawings, on which-- Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the construction and Fig. 3 is a plan of a part of the same.

The extracting of oxid of copper from calcined copper ores and slags is carried on in the following manner: Calcined copper-ore or uncalcined slagsare broken up approximately to 1 mm. in size. The material thus obtained is carted to the apparatus A. A. Each apparatus A consists of an iron casing of square section, narrowing toward the top and bottom. The whole apparatus is divided'into three parts by the grate-a and the filter b. The broken up material is thrown into the apparatus A through the upper part of the neck 0, and falls in a layer on the grate a and fills the apparatus up to its upper narrow part. The lower part (Z, between a and b, serves to collect the slag, while the lower part e is for the running out of the solution. The slag is removed. from the apparatus through the hole v7 and the discharging of the material at the end of,

operation is 'efl ected through the door 9.

When the apparatus A is filled with material,

its neck 0 is closed tightly by the cover h and a mixture'of equal parts amounting approximately to a 4% solution of ammonia and 4% solution of ammonium carbonate about i relative to the weight of the material charged 1n the apparatus A is poured into it from the reservoir 0 through the pipe '5 by opening the cock-j, After this, the valve 70. is opened with the object of obtaining a vacuum in the chamber e,which is con nected by means of the pipe .2 through the reservoir B to an ordinary suction pump, while the upper narrowing part m of the ap paratus A is connected'by means of a' cock at to the pipe 0. The latter is connected to a compressor, working at a pressure of about two atmospheres and serving for pumping air into the chamber in. There-agent then commences to pass somewhat rapidly through the ore-dissolving the copper on its path. The action of the re-agent is as follows: The ammonia dissolves the entire quantity of the carbonate of copper already contained in the calcined ore and slags and forms, in the presence of oxygen of air, copper-ammonium hydrate which is easily dis solved in the excess of ammonia. Ammonium carbonate serves as a former of carbonate of copper and accelerates t e process of dissolving the chemical combinations of copper in the ammonia. This solution together with the sediment of the slag penetrates through the grate a of the apparatus A into the part d of it,.where the slag remains,

while the' solution of copper enters through the filter 6, into the lower chamber 6, from whence owing to vacuum, it rises and flows down into the reservoir B, for which purpose the pipe 7) of the reservoir B is connected to the suction pump. If the solution of salts of copper obtained-in the apparatus A is of sufiicient strength it is then drained off into the still, otherwise it is passed .a second time through the ore along the pipe 9 in either one or the other apparatus, the construction permitting the direct transfer of the' solution fromj one'apparatus to the other, which is-attained' in the following manner: It is necessary, for instance, to transfer the solution from the apparatus A into the apparatus A: by exhausting the air inthe chamber 6 .of the apparatus A;

and opening the cock?" mounted on the pipe ,s,connectingone apparatus to the other and by closing the cock is of the apparatus A, we

shall force the liquid to flow into the chamber m, of the apparatus A, Thus the solution is'forced to pass through the ore until it is completely saturated. After passing the re-agent through the apparatus; an increased circulation of air through the ore or slags is effected by compressing the air in the upper part m; of the apparatus A; through opening the cock n. The process continues normally about an hour, the chamber 01 on opening the cock 2, being connected to the pipe 2 extending to the tank F, which is filled with Water, the gases formed during the circulation of the air, being caught by the Water and the solution obtained is utilized by forcing it with'the aid of the pump K along the pipe 2 into the tank C contain- I ing the re-agent. The blast process is necessary for the reason that the oxid of copper dissolved in hydrate of ammonia should be converted into copper-ammonium hydrate, as this reaction takes place very easily when the oxygen of air and ammonia vapors act simultaneously on the damp ore. After the process of the'circulation of air the quantity of the re-agent mentioned above is again poured in and is treated in the same manner as described above. Generally, for the complete, extraction of the salts of copper it is sufficient to pass the re-agent through the ore or slag about five times, increasing the circulation of air during the intervals.

On finishing this process a powerful jet of clear water is passed through the material remaining after extracting the copper, which 1s washed with the object of removing the remaining gases. This is attained by opening the cock u on the pipe '0 leading from the water supply, and the cock w. Water is let out through the cock (6 into the water supply 2 leading to the tank F. The material,

however, is discharged through the manhole g. On collecting a suflicient quantity of the solution in the reservoir B, the distilling of it is commenced. The distilling is effected in the cylinder H made of boiler iron, at the side of which a furnace L is arranged. The liquid saturated with copper-' ammonium hydrateand carbonate of copper enters through the cocks w. A neck having a cock 3 (Fig. 1) is arranged underneathv for the outlet of Water and oxidof copper. On the still being filled with liquid up to of its. height which can be ascertained by the water gage glass H, the furnace is fired up and the liquid is heated to its boiling point. Theammonia and carbonic acid gas formed here passes along the pipe 2 into the reservoir C. The hydrate solution of ammonia and carbonic acid gas is again put into work as a re-agent. About water remains in the still after th evaporation of the gases which is removed together with the oxid of copper deposited on the bottom ofthe still in the form of a paste. this is effected by opening the cock 3 arranged on the coupling pipe between the boiler H and reservoir G from whence the oxid of copper is taken.

Approximately twenty four hours are required for all the abovementioned operations from the moment the ore or slag enters the apparatus A until the oxid of copper is obtained. i

For obtaining ammonia gas, an apparatus of one of the existing types is installed as shown on the drawing by the letter I. From it the gases enter the reservoir D, where, saturating the water, they form a solution of ammonia. Saturating the water in the reservoir E with ammonia gas and passing carbonic acid gas into it obtained from the apparatus T of the generally used types, a solution of ammonium carbonate will be obtained. The solutions from the vats D, and E, as required, enter the vat C.

The pipe-line M is connected with the waterpipe for supplying water into the tanks 0, D, and E.

Thus, as is seen from the above specification, the proposed method results in the following operations: (1) The calcination of the ore; (2) the breaking up of the calcined ore and slags; (3) the treatment of both the above material with a hydrate solution of ammonia and ammonium carbonate in the presence of oxygen of the air for converting the oxid of copper into a copperammonium hydrate and copper carbonate, dissolved in the excess of a hydrate solution of ammonia; evaporating the salts of copper of the solution to obtain oxid of cop-' per and (5) smelting the oxid of copper into metallic copper.

Claim: x

An improved process for extracting copper from calcined ore and slags consisting in submitting the same to the combined action of an ammonia solution, of ammonium carbonate and of oxygen of the air, dissolving the copper salts thus obtained in the solution, recuperatingthe ammonia gas and the carbonic acid gas generated, precipitating the oxid of copper in form of powder and smelting this powder to obtain pure copper, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTONY GADOMSKY.

Witnesses: H. AJLoVIAGUINE,

A. Mizms.

excess of the ammonia solution, boiling the' i 

